The DC Traveler

Starting yesterday, May 1st, Washington, DC taxicabs were supposed to have meters installed.  Drivers caught without meters and still charging by zones, will be issued warning tickets.
The new fare system was established at the beginning of the year and set the initial pull rate at $3.00, with each additional 1/6 mile an extra 25¢.
Starting June 1, DC Police will be instructed to write cabbies tickets, that will result in fines up to $1,000 per incident.
The shift from zones to time/distance was designed to eliminate the possibility of unscrupulous cabbies charging higher fares.  The move was popular with tourist groups …read more

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Like many large cities, taxis are pretty easy to find in the more populated and business areas of the District. But that’s where similarity ends. DC-based cabs determine fares on a zone system, while Virginia and Maryland cabs use the traditional metered system.
In Washington DC, there are 8 fare zones.  If you stay one zone, your cost will be a flat $6.50.  Crossing into a second zone adds $2.30 ($8.80 total), and then crossing additional zones add from $1.10 to $2.30 per zone, with the maximum standard rate for an 8-zone ride being $18.90.
Here’s a tip: Ask your driver how …read more

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